Exploring the Effects of an "Everyday" Activity Program on Executive Function and Memory in Older Adults: Experience Corps®
Exploring the Effects of an "Everyday" Activity Program on Executive Function and Memory in Older Adults: Experience Corps®
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DOI：
10.1093/geront/48.6.793
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发表时间：
2008-12-01
期刊：
影响因子：
5.7
通讯作者：
Fried, Linda P.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Carlson, Michelle C.;Saczynski, Jane S.;Fried, Linda P.
目的：在“现实世界”的社区环境中，很少有多模态认知活动项目的经验翻译。这项研究试图通过一项短期的随机试验来证明，这样的活动计划可以改善对久坐风险最大的老年人的独立功能至关重要的认知成分。设计与方法：我们将149名老年人随机分配到Experience Corps (R) （EC）或等候名单对照组。参与者被随机分配到EC培训小组，在一学年中每周15小时帮助小学生学习阅读成绩、图书馆支持和课堂行为。我们比较基线和随访评估的记忆，执行功能（EF）和精神运动速度在4至8个月的干预组，调整暴露时间。我们在基线和分层分析中观察了一系列EF能力，根据基线损害的存在使用既定规范。结果：总体而言，与对照组相比，EC参与者倾向于在EF和记忆方面表现出改善（ps < 0.10）。基线EF受损的EC参与者表现出最大的改善，随访时EF和记忆的改善在44%到51%之间，而EF受损的对照组则有所下降（ps < 0.05）。结论：短期参与这个以社区为基础的项目，旨在增加在社会和现实环境中的认知和身体活动，可能会训练记忆力，特别是对功能独立性很重要的执行功能。这个以社区为基础的项目代表了一种潜在的有效模式，可以为最大比例的老年人，特别是那些久坐不动、健康差异风险较高的老年人，带来高剂量的可持续认知锻炼。
Purpose: There is little empirical translation of multi-modal cognitive activity programs in "real-world" community-based settings. This study sought to demonstrate in a short-term pilot randomized trial that such an activity program improves components of cognition critical to independent function among sedentary older adults at greatest risk. Design and Methods: We randomized 149 older adults to Experience Corps (R) (EC) or a wait-list control arm. Participants randomized to EC trained in teams to help elementary school children with reading achievement, library support, and classroom behavior for 15 hr/week during an academic year. We compared baseline and follow-up assessments of memory, executive function (EF), and psychomotor speed at 4 to 8 months by intervention arm, adjusting for exposure duration. We observed a range of EF abilities at baseline and stratified analyses according to the presence of baseline impairment using established norms. Results: Overall, EC participants tended to show improvements in EF and memory relative to matched controls (ps < .10). EC participants with impaired baseline EF showed the greatest improvements, between 44% and 51% in EF and memory at follow-up, compared to declines among impaired-EF controls (ps < .05). Implications: Short-term participation in this community-based program designed to increase cognitive and physical activity in a social, real-world setting may train memory and, particularly, executive functions important to functional independence. This community-based program represents one potentially effective model to bring high doses of sustainable cognitive exercise to the greatest proportion of older adults, particularly those sedentary individuals at elevated risk for health disparities.